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reasoned and unanimous opinion of thei Committee of this Chamber.
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The Hon. Mr. HCLYOAK-I am glad that the burden of proposing or second- ing this resolution has not fallen to me At this point Sir Paul Chater left the as your Chairman. I say this because
room.
was in a
was present and deeply interested in what took place. I also telt and expressed the resentment, which 1 can perfectly clearly see is also felt deeply by you, in the Council. There I propose to leave the But it is due to His Excellency
to
say
to him that he said he ALVer intended any such interpretation at all. Be that as it may, gentlemen, when utterances are made by public men, be they governors or be they politicians, they must accept responsibility for the spoken word. (Hear, hear.) And in the absence of any public withdrawal, as public as the statement was made, we have no other course but to make allusion to them.
tion which has been proposed by Mr. Dodwell and seconded by Mr. Ede.
The resolution was then put to the meeting and carried unanimously.
Mr. MONTAGUE EDR, in seconding, sa:d: -Geat!: men, the mover of this Resolu tion has told you that in coming to the conclusions at which he has arrived he matter. has been influenced only by the printed that I should tell you that he sent for theme on Saturday, and in the course of an reports of th; speeches made at
interview he again explained to me that He Council meeting on the 19th inst.
he could not see how I or anyone else was not present in the room, and there could possibly place upon his words the fore he cannot tell you first hand what interpretation which Wo have done.
And it ja also due happened. 1, gentlemen, was in the room during the whole debate; I position pecularly favourable both as to seeing and hearing, for I faced H.E. the Governor, and not only heard every word he said but noted particularly the inflee tions of his voice, and I can assure you that the impression conveyed to my mind was that the slight on this Chamber was intentional. I would specially call your attention to the following paragraph in Mr. Holyoak's speech: Finally,With these few words I put the resolu would remind you that the views I have endeavoured, however incompetently, to set forth are unitedly shared and en- dorsed by the Committee of the Chamber of Commerce, which, at a recent meet ing specially convened to consider the
The Hon. Mr. HOLTOAK-May I express whole matter, unanimously adopted the to you, gentlemen, before you leave, the identical motion on which I am now appreciation of the Committee of the addr. ssing you. The composition of this Chamber of Commerce in what amounts Committee is 80 well known. to your to a vote of confidence in us. (Applause.) Excellency and this Council that I au Believe me, the work of the Committee of certain its carefully considered opinion the Chamber and of its representative is will not fail to carry the weight it de by no means light, and it would certainly serves with the Secretary of State not be carried on for one single moment for the Colonies.' In this H.E.if the Committee or its representative did the Governor was clearly informed not feel behind them the united opinion of the unanimity existing, and of the Chamber. (Applaus) there is therefore less excuse for that In reply to Mr. Bell, the CHAIRMAN which transpired. (Applause.) I under- stand that His Excellency the Governor has stated that a wrong construction has been put upon what he said, but I regret, very much, with all respect, that, having been present and having weighed the Mr. FORBES-The question of the ex- point most carefully, I, for one, cannot clusion of the Germans is one on which accept this explanation. (Hear, hear.) I think the majority of the members of Fortunately, this matter can be judged this Chamber have made up their minds. by you all on its own merits, and I there. We do not want the Germans here, we fore leave it to you to show by your are quite capable of carrying on the trade voting unanimously for the resolution of the port without them, and we must that you take exception to the way in decline to have anything more to do with which this Chamber, through its repre- them. If there are any friends of the sentative, wag slighted, and its
Kaiser in this Colony, I would like to say sidered opinion brought to nought. (Ap- that we have no use for them, and we plause.)
will do everything wo possibly can to
J
COD-
said that the resolutions would be for- warded to the Secretary of State for the Colonies and also to the Committee of the Cnited Chambers of Commerce at Home.
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Mr. LOUGHLIN seconded.
492
at
defeat their aims to restore German ship- a public meeting at as carly a data as ping and business here aftr the war. possible. As the Government is against us, we should, I think, cable fully to the London
The Hon. Mr. HOLYOAK said that Chamber of Commerce and other Cham-
endeavour would be an early date an bers in the Empire to ask for their up made to hold such a meeting. He had port and ask them to take the matter ben inundated with letters and telephone up to arrive at a decision. I would pro- calls asking him to make that meeting pose, instead of a period of 10 years, that public, but he had to explain that it was it would be better to leave this for the private meeting of the Chamber of Com Imperial Government in order that the merce and that only members would be question may be discussed fully. There allowed to vote. They would try and are many members of the community who arrange a meeting for Thursday at the are not represented at this meeting and Theatre Royal, if it were possible. it would be well to ascertain their views.
I therefore propose that we should have!
This was all the business.